While the saying always goes that the Golden Globes set the tone for the Oscars, this years nominations prove that while true the Academy still has a mind of it’s own.

What stands out for me is the District 9 nominations. The alien drama which was not a favorite among the Hollywood Foreign Press is up for among others Best Motion Picture and Adapted Screenplay. Personally I hated the movie. It started off ok but lost it’s luster mid way through.  Buzz was that after its Golden Globe win The Hangover would be among Best Picture contenders. I guess the Academy is still not ready Vegas ruckus…yet.

Actor in a Leading Role

• Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

• Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

• “Coraline” Henry Selick
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
• “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
• “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
• “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

• “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
• “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
• “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

• “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
• “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
• “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
• “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

• “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
• “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
• “Nine” Colleen Atwood
• “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

• “Avatar” James Cameron
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
• “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
• “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

• “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
• “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
• “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
• “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
• “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

• “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
• “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
• “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
• “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
• “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

• “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
• “District 9” Julian Clarke
• “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

• “Ajami” Israel
• “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
• “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
• “Un Prophète” France
• “The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup

• “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
• “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

• “Avatar” James Horner
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
• “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
• “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
• “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

• “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
• “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
• “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Picture

• “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
• “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
• “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
• “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
• “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
• “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
• “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
• “Up” Jonas Rivera, Produce
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• “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

• “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
• “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
• “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
• “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
• “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)

• “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
• “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
• “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
• “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
• “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

• “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
• “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
• “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
• “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
• “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

• “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
• “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
• “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
• “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
• “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

• “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
• “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
• “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
• “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
• “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
• “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
• “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
• “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Source: Oscar.org

The Grammys weren’t the only think happening this weekend, Sundance’s Jury winners were announced.

The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary: ‘Restrepo,’ directed by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington.

The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic: ‘Winter’s Bone,’ directed by Debra Granik; written by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini.

The World Cinema Jury Prize Documentary :‘The Red Chapel ‘ directed by Mads Brügger of Denmark.

The World Cinema Jury Prize Dramatic: ‘Animal Kingdom,’ written and directed by David Michôd of Australia.

The Audience Award: Documentary was presented to ‘WAITING FOR SUPERMAN,’ directed by Davis Guggenheim, for his examination of the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories.

The Audience Award: Dramatic: ‘happythankyoumoreplease,’ written and directed by Josh Radnor.

The World Cinema Audience Award Documentary: ‘Wasteland,’ directed by Lucy Walker of  United Kingdom.

The World Cinema Audience Award Dramatic: ‘Contracorriente’ written and directed by Javier Fuentes-Leõn of Peru.

The Best of NEXT Award :‘Homewrecker,’ directed by Todd Barnes and Brad Barnes and written by Todd Barnes, Brad Barnes, and Sophie Goodhart.

The Directing Award Documentary: ‘Smash His Camera,’ directed by Leon Gast.

The Directing Award Dramatic: ’3 Backyards,’ directed and written by Eric Mendelsohn.

The World Cinema Directing Award Documentary: ‘Space Tourists’ directed by Christian Frei  of Switzerland.

The World Cinema Directing Award Dramatic: ‘Southern District’ directed and written by Juan Carlos Valdivia of Bolivia.

Click here for the rest of the winners.

Source: Park Record.com

Johnny Deep is set to become Captain Jack Sparrow once again when filming for the 4th installment of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is slated to start this summer in Hawaii but one cast member who is not coming back…Orlando Bloom. Bloom talked with the press while in Sundance and told them he was not slated for the new film.

What?! You can’t have a ‘Pirates’ film without having Will Turner! Before you go blaming Orlando it was Disney’s decision. Also not returning is Keira Knightly. In the last film, Will Turner was bound to the sea for 10 years but is Orlando Bloom that expendable now? They couldn’t have written him in the film? Here’s to hoping for Turner’s return in Pirates 5. (Oh you know Disney will milk this cash cow dry. )

Also Mark Ruffalo makes his directorial debut. The festival runs from Jan. 21-31, 2010.

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION

Blue Valentine (Director: Derek Cianfrance; screenwriters: Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis). A portrait of an American marriage over time. Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Mike Vogel, John Doman.

Douchebag (Director: Drake Doremus; screenwriters: Lindsay Stidham, Drake Doremus, Jonathan Schwartz, Andrew Dickler). On the verge of getting married, Sam insists he escort his younger brother, Tom, on a wild goose chase to find Tom’s fifth grade girlfriend. Cast: Andrew Dickler, Ben York Jones, Marguerite Moreau, Nicole Vicius, Amy Ferguson, Wendi McClendon-Covey.

The Dry Land (Director-screenwriter: Ryan Piers Williams). A U.S. soldier returning home from war struggles to reconcile his experiences abroad with the life he left in Texas. Cast: America Ferrera, Wilmer Valderrama, Ethan Suplee, June Diane Raphael, Melissa Leo.

happythankyoumoreplease (Director-screenwriter: Josh Radnor). Six New Yorkers negotiate love, friendship and gratitude at a time when they’re too old to be precocious and not ready to be adults. Cast: Malin Akerman, Josh Radnor, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Tony Hale, Pablo Schreiber, Michael Algieri.

Hesher (Director: Spencer Susser; screenwriters: Spencer Susser, David Michod). A mysterious, anarchical trickster descends on the lives of a family struggling to deal with a painful loss. Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, Rainn Wilson, Devin Brochu, Piper Laurie, John Carroll Lynch.

Holy Rollers (Director: Kevin Tyler Asch; screenwriter: Antonio Macia). A young Hasidic man, seduced by money, power and opportunity, becomes an international Ecstasy smuggler. Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, Danny A. Abeckaser, Ari Graynor, Jason Fuchs.

Howl (Directors-screenwriters: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman). A nonfiction drama about young Allen Ginsberg finding his voice, the creation of his groundbreaking poem and the landmark obscenity trial that followed. Cast: James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels.

The Imperialists are Still Alive! (Director-screenwriter: Zeina Durra). Juggling the abduction of her childhood sweetheart as well as a blooming love affair, a French Manhattanite makes her way as an artist in a hostile world. Cast: Elodie Bouchez, Jose Maria de Tavira, Karim Saleh Karolina Muller, Marianna Kulukundis, Rita Ackerman.

Lovers of Hate (Director-screenwriter: Bryan Poyser). The shaky reunion of estranged brothers takes a turn for the worse when the woman they both love chooses one over the other. Cast: Chris Doubek, Heather Kafka, Alex Karpovsky, Zach Green.

Night Catches Us (Director-screenwriter: Tanya Hamilton). In 1978, political and emotional forces are set in motion when a young man returns to the race-torn Philadelphia neighborhood where he came of age during the Black Power movement. Cast: Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Jamie Hector, Wendell Pierce, Jamara Griffin.

Obselidia (Director-screenwriter: Diane Bell). A lonely librarian believes love is obsolete until a road trip to Death Valley with a beguiling cinema projectionist teaches him otherwise. Cast: Gaynor Howe, Michael Piccirilli, Frank Hoyt Taylor.

Skateland (Director: Anthony Burns; screenwriters: Anthony Burns, Brandon Freeman, Heath Freeman). In the early 1980s in small-town Texas, dramatic events force a 19-year-old skating-rink manager to look at his life in a new way. Cast: Shiloh Fernandez, A.J. Buckley, Ashley Greene, Brett Cullen, Ellen Hollman, Heath Freeman.

Sympathy for Delicious (Director: Mark Ruffalo; screenwriter: Christopher Thornton). A newly paralyzed DJ gets more than he bargained for when he seeks out the world of faith healing. Cast: Orlando Bloom, Mark Ruffalo, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney, John Carroll Lynch.

3 Backyards (Director-screenwriter: Eric Mendelsohn). A quiet suburban town becomes an intense emotional terrain for three residents over the course of one curious autumn day. Cast: Embeth Davidtz, Edie Falco, Elias Koteas, Rachel Resheff, Kathryn Erbe, Danai Gurira.

Welcome to the Rileys (Director: Jake Scott; screenwriter: Ken Hixon). On a business trip to New Orleans, a damaged man seeks salvation by caring for a wayward young woman. Cast: James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, Melissa Leo.

Winter’s Bone (Director: Debra Granik; screenwriters: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini). An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father. Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Lauren Sweetser, Kevin Breznahan, Isaiah Stone.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Bhutto (Directors: Duane Baughman, Johnny O’Hara; screenwriter: Johnny O’Hara). A journey through the life and work of recently assassinated Benazir Bhutto, former Pakistani prime minister.

Casino Jack & the United States of Money (Director: Alex Gibney). An investigation into the lies, greed and corruption surrounding D.C. superlobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies.

Family Affair (Director: Chico Colvard). A documentary that examines resilience, survival and the capacity to accommodate a parent’s past crimes in order to satisfy the longing for family.

Freedom Riders (Director: Stanley Nelson). The story behind a band of civil rights activists called the Freedom Riders who in 1961 creatively challenged segregation in the American South.

Gas Land (Director: Josh Fox). A cross-country odyssey uncovers toxic streams, dying livestock, flammable sinks and weakening health among rural citizens on the front lines of the natural gas drilling craze.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Director: Tamra Davis). The story of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Directors: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg). A glimpse into the comedic process and private dramas of the legendary comedian and pop icon.

Lucky (Director: Jeffrey Blitz). The story of what happens when people hit the lottery jackpot.

My Perestroika (Director: Robin Hessman). Tracking the lives of five Muscovites who came of age just as the USSR collapsed.

The Oath (Director: Laura Poitras). Filmed in Yemen, the story of two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that led them to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Restrepo (Directors: Sebastian Junger, Tim Hetherington). Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s year dug in with the Second Platoon in one of Afghanistan’s most strategically crucial valleys reveals insight into the combination of back-breaking labor, deadly firefights and camaraderie.

A Small Act (Director: Jennifer Arnold). A young Kenyan’s life changes when his education is sponsored by a Swedish stranger.

Smash His Camera (Director: Leon Gast). Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sued him, and Marlon Brando broke his jaw. The story of notorious, reviled paparazzo Ron Galella.

12th & Delaware (Directors: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing). The abortion battle continues to rage in unexpected ways on an unassuming corner in America.

I’m Pat _______ Tillman (Director: Amir Bar
-Lev). The story of the professional football star and decorated U.S. soldier.

Waiting for Superman (Director: Davis Guggenheim). Examines the crisis of public education in the U.S. through multiple interlocking stories.

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Enemies of the People (Directors: Rob Lemkin, Thet Sambath). A young journalist whose family was killed by the Khmer Rouge befriends the perpetrators of the Killing Fields genocide. (Cambodia, U.K.)

Fix Me (Director: Raed Andoni). When Palestinian filmmaker Raed Andoni gets a headache that won’t quit, he seeks out help and insight in different forms in his hometown of Ramallah. (France, Palestinian Territories, Switzerland)

His & Hers (Director: Ken Wardrop). Seventy Irish women offer insights into the relationships between women and men. (Ireland)

Kick in Iran (Director: Fatima Geza Abdollahyan). The first female professional Taekwondo fighter from Iran to qualify for the Olympic Games struggles for recognition in a society where women still play a subordinate role. (Germany)

Last Train Home (Director: Lixin Fan). Getting a train ticket in China proves a towering ordeal as a migrant worker family embarks on a journey, along with 200 million other peasants, to reunite with their distant family. (Canada)

What Remains (Director: Yael Hersonski). Film reels uncovered in Nazi archives reveal the mechanisms used to stage Warsaw Ghetto life. (Germany, Israel)

The Red Chapel (Director: Mads Brugger). A journalist with no scruples, a self-proclaimed spastic and a comedian travel to North Korea under the guise of a cultural-exchange visit to challenge one of the world’s most notorious regimes. (Denmark)

Russian Lessons (Directors: Olga Konskaya, Andrei Nekrasov). An investigation into Russian actions during the 2008 war in Georgia. (Georgia, Germany, Norway)

Secrets of the Tribe (Director: Jose Padilha). Scandal and infighting abound in the academic Anthropology community regarding the representation and exploitation of indigenous Indians in the Amazon Basin. (Brazil)

Sins of My Father (Director: Nicolas Entel). The life and times of notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar are recounted through the eyes of his son. (Argentina, Colombia)

Space Tourists (Director: Christian Frei). A humorous view of the way billionaires depart Earth to travel into space for fun. (Switzerland)

Waste Land (Director: Lucy Walker). Lives are transformed when international art star Vik Muniz collaborates with garbage pickers in the world’s largest landfill in Rio de Janeiro. (U.K.)

WORLD CINEMA  NARRATIVE COMPETITION

All That I Love (Director-screenwriter: Jacek Borcuch). In 1981, during the growing Polish Solidarity movement, four small-town teenagers form a punk-rock band. (Poland)

Animal Kingdom (Director-screenwriter: David Michod). After the death of his mother, a 17-year-old boy is thrust precariously between an explosive criminal family and a detective who thinks he can save him. (Australia)

Boy (Director-screenwriter: Taika Waititi). When his father returns home after many years away, 11-year-old Boy and his little brother Rocky must reconcile reality with the fantasy dad they created in their imagination. (New Zealand)

Undertow (Director-screenwriter: Javier Fuentes-Leon). An unusual ghost story set on the Peruvian seaside. (Colombia, France, Germany, Peru)

Peepli Live (Director-screenwriter: Anusha Rizvi). A satirical look at the predicament of a poor farmer who creates a media frenzy when, beset with debt, he announces that he will commit suicide so his family can receive government compensation. (India)

Four Lions (Director: Chris Morris; screenwriters: Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain). A comedy about a bunch of self-styled British jihadis. (U.K.)

Grown Up Movie Star (Director-screenwriter: Adriana Maggs). After her mother runs away, a teenage girl is left to care for her hopelessly rural father. (Canada)

The Man Next Door (Directors-screenwriters: Mariano Cohn, Gaston Duprat). Dark comedy about two neighbors sparring over a wall separating their property. (Argentina)

Me Too (Directors-screenwriters: Alvaro Pastor and Antonio Naharro). A 34-year-old college-educated man with Down syndrome and his free-spirited co-worker forge an unconventional relationship. (Spain)

Nuummioq (Directors: Otto Rosing, Torben Bech; Screenwriter: Torben Bech). A young man’s journey through the natural landscape of Greenland. (Greenland)

Son of Babylon (Director-screenwriter: Mohamed Al Daradji). In the days after the fall of Saddam Hussein, a young Kurdish boy and his grandmother venture through Iraq on a quest to find the remains of their missing father/son. (Iraq)

Southern District (Director-screenwriter: Juan Carlos Valdivia). In La Paz, Bolivia, an upper-class family experiences the final halcyon days of luxury. (Bolivia)

The Temptation of St. Tony (Director-screenwriter: Veiko Ounpuu). A midlevel manager who develops an aversion to being “good” finds himself confronting the mysteries of middle age. (Estonia)

Vegetarian (Director-screenwriter: Lim Woo-seong). A housewife finds herself having strange dreams that make her disgusted by meat. (South Korea)

Hollywood Reporter

Sundance 2010